NFL extends exclusive license with EA/Madden to 2013

The only logical explanation is EA's Peter Moore has pictures of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell naked with Farm Animals.

Nooo0ooo0o

Hooray for monopolies! I always like Madden better, but 2k wasn't a bad game by any means, and it gave Madden a reason to actually improve their game from year to year. monkeytoes61

Exactly. Whether you liked the 2k games or not, having them around was undeniably a good thing.

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]Hooray for monopolies! I always like Madden better, but 2k wasn't a bad game by any means, and it gave Madden a reason to actually improve their game from year to year. JML897

Exactly. Whether you liked the 2k games or not, having them around was undeniably a good thing.

Yeah, as a Madden fan, I do have to say that not having 2K as an option is lame since they really did push EA to make quality games. I mean, NFL 2K5 and Madden 05 were both stellar games and really pushed the envelope. I still enjoy the Madden games, but they don't make the leaps they used to when 2K was putting the heat on them.

Obviously, exclusive stuff like this sucks, period. Look at the 2K MLB series... It's junk and most people would still take MVP 05 over the latest version of the 2K baseball series... I'm just glad I have a PS3 so I can buy The Show...

[QUOTE="monkeytoes61"]Hooray for monopolies! I always like Madden better, but 2k wasn't a bad game by any means, and it gave Madden a reason to actually improve their game from year to year. JML897

Exactly. Whether you liked the 2k games or not, having them around was undeniably a good thing.

Hooray for monopolies! I always like Madden better, but 2k wasn't a bad game by any means, and it gave Madden a reason to actually improve their game from year to year. monkeytoes61

And given 2K's last outting, I would rather see their improvements over blindly following one company over another, I have no loyalty for sports games. Whoever makes the better game gets my money year after year.

Another head scratching part of this agreement being extended to 2013... is the NFL gave EA a REDUCTION in price of what the NFL License will cost. It seems very fishy the way EA and the NFL are in bed together. I wonder if they gave them this extension and price reduction because of the looming work stoppage that might happen for the upcoming season? Maybe. And of course now that EA got a huge break paying for the NFL license they will 100% certainly reduce the cost of Madden for the consumer right? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight :roll:

Well that sucks.

More horribleMadden games..................awesome

i used to play 2K5 religiously. it was such a well-developed game for its time. now i am forced to buy madden and they really do nothing to it other than change the rosters around. Be A Superstar mode is a joke and so is the Franchise mode. I was really hoping to see 2K to get an opportunity to make a game but i guess not.

NFL madden used to be a good game, *key words* used to. I miss how in nfl 2k5 you had alot of options and that my crib feature was great!

For anyone interested, this extension might not matter
http://www.1up.com/news/judge-madden-price-fixing-lawsuit

"A U.S. district court judge has certified a cla$$action anti-trust lawsuit against Electronic Arts to proceed, which alleges the publisher used the exclusive NFL license it obtained in 2005 to illegally raise the price of games in the Madden NFL series. The complaint argues that ESPN NFL 2K5, the last version of the game to have the NFL license before EA acquired it exclusively in 2005, was released at a budget price of $19.95. This in turn caused EA to counter price Madden NFL 2005 at $29.95 a few months after its release that year, but once they had the exclusive license the price of each game in the series rose once again to the $49.95-$59.95 range. "We believe EA forced consumers to pay an artificial premium on Madden NFL videogames," said Steve Berman, the lawyer working the cla$$action suit. "We intend to prove that EA could inflate prices on their sports titles because these exclusive licenses restrained trade and competition for interactive sports software."

This happened on December 2010, Pending the outcome of the suit, 2K Sports could be granted NFL rights again which would permit the series to continue.

:shock:

When is the monopoly gonna end? :?

The only problem with that lawsuit... is it says, "EA forced consumers to pay" ... and the reality is no gamer is forced to buy anything. If you're not happy with any games price you're not forced to buy it. While I agree EA has a monopoly with Madden... nobody is forcing anyone to buy it.

"Forced" is actually a pretty good word for it. If I remember correctly, there is only one or two Internet company in South Africa and they charge an outrageous amount for the Internet (especially since some of it is Dial-up quality). Sure you aren't "forced" to pay for the internet, but you have no other option if you want the Internet.

The Internet in South Africa is around $150... and it sucks ***.

The only problem with that lawsuit... is it says, "EA forced consumers to pay" ... and the reality is no gamer is forced to buy anything. If you're not happy with any games price you're not forced to buy it. While I agree EA has a monopoly with Madden... nobody is forcing anyone to buy it.ohjtbehaaave

While it's true no one's forced to buy it, if we do buy it we're forced to pay more because EA isn't allowing any competition.

I don't think you understand the "forced" part. Anyone one who wants to play a football game is forced to pick up Madden for $60 because they are the only show in town. The wording used in the lawsuit is correct. The gasoline company analogy doesn't fit, because their are plenty competition. Sure, Gas is no longer .99 cent, but it's not unreasonably high either. If gas stations worked like EA, there would only be Texaco and they could charge 50% more then they normally would have (if I rememeber correctly Madden was around 30 dollars that year 2k5 came out) if there was competetion. As I said before, in South Africa the Internet is over $100 and it sucks ***, about as fast as dial up.

Urge to kill...rising.:evil:

I don't think you understand the "forced" part. Anyone one who wants to play a football game is forced to pick up Madden for $60 because they are the only show in town. The wording used in the lawsuit is correct. The gasoline company analogy doesn't fit, because their are plenty competition. Sure, Gas is no longer .99 cent, but it's not unreasonably high either. If gas stations worked like EA, there would only be Texaco and they could charge 50% more then they normally would have (if I rememeber correctly Madden was around 30 dollars that year 2k5 came out) if there was competetion. As I said before, in South Africa the Internet is over $100 and it sucks ***, about as fast as dial up.

No_Hablo_Ingles

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy it. Like I already said... if gamers were so infuriated by it's price... just boycott it and send a message to EA and the NFL. No sales will definitely send a message. And to be honest if you shop smart and can resist not getting the game in August... you can get Madden for $30 bucks new on Black Friday. And while I prefer NFL 2K FB over Madden.... the only reason 2K offered their game at $19.99... was because they had to if they wanted to to grab any attention and sales away from Madden. I'm sure 2K made no profits from NFL 2K5. It was a strategic move for the future... which EA made meaningless by getting the exlcusive right to the NFL License. If 2K could have charged $50 or $60 for a 2K FB game they would. I don't think that lawsuit has a leg to stand on whatsoever. A gamer 'chooses' to pay $60 bucks for Madden.... they are never 'forced' to buy Madden for $60 bucks. If there should be a lawsuit it should be against the NFL for allowing EA a monopoly.

Just like with the cost of cable/internet here... nobody is FORCING anyone to buy it. Yeah it's a monopoly and it's a total rip off.... but nobody is Forcing anyone to pay for it. You have the choice to get an antenna and watch regular TV channels for free and learn to live without the Internet if you think the cost is too high. Many already do. And like I said before with the gas... these things are actually important to every day life.Buying a reheated Madden FB video game every year certainly is not.

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy it. Like I already said... if gamers were so infuriated by it's price... just boycott it and send a message to EA and the NFL. No sales will definitely send a message. And to be honest if you shop smart and can resist not getting the game in August... you can get Madden for $30 bucks new on Black Friday. And while I prefer NFL 2K FB over Madden.... the only reason 2K offered their game at $19.99... was because they had to if they wanted to to grab any attention and sales away from Madden. I'm sure 2K made no profits from NFL 2K5. It was a strategic move for the future... which EA made meaningless by getting the exlcusive right to the NFL License. If 2K could have charged $50 or $60 for a 2K FB game they would. I don't think that lawsuit has a leg to stand on whatsoever. A gamer 'chooses' to pay $60 bucks for Madden.... they are never 'forced' to buy Madden for $60 bucks. If there should be a lawsuit it should be against the NFL for allowing EA a monopoly.

ohjtbehaaave

That isn't the issue. You're using the word "forced" the wrong way. Of course no one is forced to buy Madden. No one is forced to pay for something they don't want to pay for. However, IF we buy Madden we ARE forced to pay whatever EA tells us to pay because of its monopoly.

Like I said with cable tv... nobody is forcing you to take part in their rip off prices. You are CHOOSING to pay it just like with Madden. This lawsuit will go nowhere.ohjtbehaaave

[QUOTE="ohjtbehaaave"]Like I said with cable tv... nobody is forcing you to take part in their rip off prices. You are CHOOSING to pay it just like with Madden. This lawsuit will go nowhere.frostybanana

[QUOTE="ohjtbehaaave"]Like I said with cable tv... nobody is forcing you to take part in their rip off prices. You are CHOOSING to pay it just like with Madden. This lawsuit will go nowhere.frostybanana

The reason none of the arguments are valid or why this lawsuit will go nowhere is because EA didn't change anything with their Madden prices. It was 2K that basically was willing to forego making a profit with a $19.99 NFL 2K5 game as their strategy to gain some awareness and steal sales away from EA. It's like if one Gas Station decided to charge $2 a gallon while everyone else was charging $3. Or if a grocery store put all their stuff on sale for half price. It doesn't mean EVERYONE else has to do it too! It's like complaining to Burger King that the Whopper is overpriced compared to the Big Mac. 2K Reduced their 2K5 FB games price to $19.99 to gain an edge and to try and compete with EA's Madden. EA did nothing wrong here and Madden's price has been in line with every other sports game over the years. You can't claim a company like EA is out of line and 'Forcing' gamers to pay a higher price because their desperate competition made a drastic cost cut to try and make a dent in the market. The $19.99 price was a gimmick by 2K... not the norm for what NFL or any sports game costs. This lawsuit won't go anywhere. "My Cousin Vinny" could get this lawsuit thrown out in 10 minutes. Your honor... the 2 YUTES have no grounds to sue. :P

[QUOTE="frostybanana"][QUOTE="ohjtbehaaave"]Like I said with cable tv... nobody is forcing you to take part in their rip off prices. You are CHOOSING to pay it just like with Madden. This lawsuit will go nowhere.ohjtbehaaave

The reason none of the arguments are valid or why this lawsuit will go nowhere is because EA didn't change anything with their Madden prices. It was 2K that basically was willing to forego making a profit with a $19.99 NFL 2K5 game as their strategy to gain some awareness and steal sales away from EA. It's like if one Gas Station decided to charge $2 a gallon while everyone else was charging $3. Or if a grocery store put all their stuff on sale for half price. It doesn't mean EVERYONE else has to do it too! It's like complaining to Burger King that the Whopper is overpriced compared to the Big Mac. 2K Reduced their 2K5 FB games price to $19.99 to gain an edge and to try and compete with EA's Madden. EA did nothing wrong here and Madden's price has been in line with every other sports game over the years. You can't claim a company like EA is out of line and 'Forcing' gamers to pay a higher price because their desperate competition made a drastic cost cut to try and make a dent in the market. The $19.99 price was a gimmick by 2K... not the norm for what NFL or any sports game costs. This lawsuit won't go anywhere. "My Cousin Vinny" could get this lawsuit thrown out in 10 minutes. Your honor... the 2 YUTES have no grounds to sue. :P

looks like I'll keep playing NFL 2k5 with updated rosters thenandyboiii

You are seriously STILL playing nfl 2k5?? Thats EPIC loyalty broJacen22

There's a site called NFL 2k5 rosters dedicated to people that were die hard NFL 2k fans. Check it out below

http://nfl2k5rosters.com/

[QUOTE="andyboiii"]looks like I'll keep playing NFL 2k5 with updated rosters thenJacen22

This is awful news. EA don't know or care about football. They don't even pretend to be trying these days, haven't for the past ten years. How we all wish N2K would be given this licence so there would actually be a decent football game on the market.

Do you think EA should update their Madden games after the draft? It kind of hurts me right now.

Hooray for monopolies! I always like Madden better, but 2k wasn't a bad game by any means, and it gave Madden a reason to actually improve their game from year to year. monkeytoes61

It is a monopoly, but EA's defense is that it's not a monopoly on sport games, as there are other nonfootball sport games...nonsense. My only football option is playing NFL Street or Madden 2002. Decade later and it still appears the same. X's and O's never change

Do you think EA should update their Madden games after the draft? It kind of hurts me right now.

GameboyTroy

Sports video games aren't allowed to add the rookie players until the season officially starts.ohjtbehaaave

[QUOTE="ohjtbehaaave"]Sports video games aren't allowed to add the rookie players until the season officially starts.TonyDanzaFan

Actually the real answer to this comes down to having an agreement in place and paying for a license. EA struck a deal that allowed them to put rookies in Madden 12 whether the NFL Lockout ended or not. On the other hand NBA 2K 12 did NOT pay for the license to add rookies during their work stoppage and the rookies could not be added until they played a game because they were now part of the players association. Same goes for EA's NHL game... where rookies weren't added via DLC until after they played a game and were now part of the Players association.

It all comes down to paying for a License really which decides if you get certain things in a game. For instance Barry Bonds was never in any MLB video games because he wasn't part of the MLB players Association... and he wanted to be payed a ton of dough to be in the games which companies passed on. Also... Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick aren't in any NFL games because they aren't a part of the NFL coaches association. You get the drift.

[QUOTE="TonyDanzaFan"][QUOTE="ohjtbehaaave"]Sports video games aren't allowed to add the rookie players until the season officially starts.ohjtbehaaave

Actually the real answer to this comes down to having an agreement in place and paying for a license. EA struck a deal that allowed them to put rookies in Madden 12 whether the NFL Lockout ended or not. On the other hand NBA 2K 12 did NOT pay for the license to add rookies during their work stoppage and the rookies could not be added until they played a game because they were now part of the players association. Same goes for EA's NHL game... where rookies weren't added via DLC until after they played a game and were now part of the Players association.

It all comes down to paying for a License really which decides if you get certain things in a game. For instance Barry Bonds was never in any MLB video games because he wasn't part of the MLB players Association... and he wanted to be payed a ton of dough to be in the games which companies passed on. Also... Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick aren't in any NFL games because they aren't a part of the NFL coaches association. You get the drift.

I was actually referring to the rookies that were just drafted, like Luck, RG3 etc. But your explanation makes sense. Jon Dowd was a beeeeasttt.

I'll just keep waiting for that day when more than one NFL/MLB licensed game is available I guess.

Though lucky for me on the MLB front is that 2K and the MLB don't exactly like what they're seeing right now.